Okay, so the experiment where I joined a group of people who were all journaling about the pandemic has come to an end.
So you know where when you were in school and you had to write papers and it took maybe one or two in your life to figure out that your instructors really didn't want your thoughts, but they wanted their own parroted back to them? I was really good at that. I never bought into it as anything other than just giving them what worked to get me the grade I wanted, but I was really good at it.
In the journal group I found that when I would go to write something I was changing my style so much that it didn't really feel completely like me. And the whole reason I wanted to blog about this time was to have something to look back on and say, THIS, THIS is what it was really like. Editing my language choices and sharing half the story wasn't really doing that. Even though I was filling in the rest here, it just wasn't working for me.
I am just a lousy joiner. So I deleted my posts and left the group. It's good for other people and I hope they are getting a lot of out it, but it doesn't work for me.
Social Distancing virtual world.
Whew...
So...now that that is all over and I can go back to writing in my own voice (Like starting 40% of my sentences with the word so...) you guys get all the news that's fit to print! Or even the news that really isn't but I'm doing it anyway!
Let's start with the basics. Christopher is doing well. I'm checking in every other day so not to be a nag but to make sure that he realizes that his mother loves him. Any more and I would even annoy myself, any less and I would drive Brent crazy with speculation. So a quick check in works. And though I haven't yet heard from him today when we talked on Sunday he was good. Low grade fever that still hasn't gone away but all of the other symptoms, including the spikes in temp, have stopped. I'm really hopeful that he is in the clear and will just get the antibody goodness out of this.
And wouldn't that be great? If we could all get tested? I mean if a not insignificant number of people get this and have zero symptoms I would bet a lot more people have already had it and could be a little less panicked about going out. Of course, that's assuming that this is a catch it once sort of thing, which we still don't really know, we're just guessing.
BUT still...so far so good on that front.
I went back to the store yesterday, once a week instead of every two because of the egg limits. Because I didn't need to wait for the OLCC store to be open I went a little earlier than last week. It wasn't as crowded and most people paid attention to the one way aisles and the social distancing. The store put more directional signs up on the ends of the aisles and I think that helped. And it was just less crowded so that was better. One confused woman who turned down the aisle the wrong way just by habit and as soon as she saw her error said "Goodness sake! Whoops!" and turned around to head out.
And then there was the asshole dude who deliberately went down the aisle wrong because...ummm...freedom?
So here is my "funny" grocery store story. It started with Good Denise chastising Bad Denise and ended with Bad Denise saying, "See? What did I fucking tell you?"
Pulling into the grocery store lot and there is this GIANT truck that parked near me. Flag decals in the back window. Short guy climbs out of the cab and I thought..."Hunh...there you go." along with, "I bet we wouldn't get along." Good Denise chimes in with the don't be judgy thought. It's not nice to assume he has short man's syndrome even if he is driving a GIANT penis extender and wears his patriotism through decals. Okay fine...maybe I would be surprised and he is a really decent guy.
Then we are in the store at the same time and he keeps going down the aisles the wrong way. Like once I'll give you but every single time you are doing it on purpose because you are an asshole. And because he's going down the wrong way he's passing everyone within a few inches. So while the rest of us are waiting for the area ahead to clear before moving on he's just walking right down the middle. And I'm sure that he's notice my "not amused" look even if it's only my eyes and he can't see the mouth at all. The reason why I'm sure? Well...
He's talking to the butcher and I'm picking out meat from the case. I'm keeping my distance from him, like you are supposed to, so I'm 6 feet or more away from him as he's talking. "...and these people are just all scared. They look ridiculous playing keep away from everyone and wearing their masks." The butcher has been at our store for a very long time and caught my eye as the dude was talking. Now, I've never made a scene at the store. Or...wait...not like a lot of scenes. Or really big scenes. I've said things to people in line before who needed spoken to, but I'm pretty sure I've never clapped back at someone at the butcher counter...maybe. Once in the wine aisle and once getting produce but...I'm pretty sure I've never been a smart ass to anyone at the butcher counter...
But anyway...the butcher catches my eye and whatever he saw there made him take a step backwards away from the counter because I guess he could see GD fading and BD rising.
"I'd rather look a little ridiculous wearing a mask than look like an asshole out without one in the middle of a pandemic, especially while ignoring all of the distancing guidelines."
"Did you just call me an asshole?"
"No, I said that someone acting like you are looks like an asshole. It was implied."
Then I walked off as he huffed to the butcher and the butcher gave me the whoa look, but with a little smile, at least I'm pretty sure there was a smile there. I'm sure I'll hear for sure the next time I go in.
Later I crossed paths with asshole guy in the produce department and he started to puff up and huff under his breath. GD didn't even try to intervene.
"Is there something else you want to say to me?" he says nothing, "No? We're good then? Great."
I don't think he was expecting that one. I'm pretty sure he thought I felt brave in the presence of the butcher but would go meek when confronted by myself. That's just not my way. If anything the fact that I see the butcher all the time and know I will need to deal with him in the future made me more likely to keep my cool instead of less likely. I try not to fully unleash my temper at people. It's a big thing to see.
And he really did piss me off. When I was telling Brent about it when I got home my voice was shaking with anger. It pisses me off so much. People are genuinely scared of this virus. People are worried about their health and the health of others and he is doing the opposite just to be an asshole. Now he would say he is not being paranoid or he is defending his freedom or some bullshit, but we live in a neighborhood that serves a retirement home. Those elderly people are still shopping in that grocery store. The people that work in the grocery store are in contact with 100s of people. The mask isn't for the person wearing it, it's for the people around them.
The social distancing keeps other people safe, not just you. Especially if you are the asshole out there wandering around in crowds because "mah rights!" you could be one of those asymptomatic people who are spreading it to others who might not be so lucky. Don't be an asshole. It's really not that hard.
Wear your mask for other people.
They are wearing their masks for you.
Keep your distance. You can't tell who is sick, you can't even tell if YOU are sick.
It's not that hard not to be an asshole.
If you don't think this is a threat or something to worry about, that's fine. You don't have to. But you should respect that other people do and you don't need to be an asshole around them. Go visit your friends who also don't think this is a big deal. Just do us all a favor and carry some sort of medical directive that says you don't want a respirator and they should be saved for people who don't mind looking ridiculous in a mask.
Asshole...
Social distancing real world.
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